Fire Crews Make Progress: Northern Colorado Alexander Mountain Fire at 74% Containment

As of the evening of August 5, the Alexander Mountain Fire was estimated at 9,668 acres with 74% containment, per the Southwest Incident Management Team. 536 fire personnel were assigned to the fire on August 5. Aided by the light precipitation, firefighters continued working on containment efforts, as well as finding and extinguishing hot spots within the burn area.

Several mandatory evacuation orders were downgraded, and voluntary evacuations have been lifted. This came after successful containment, suppression efforts, and power restoration along a portion of Highway 34 (west of The Dam Store to Idlewild Ln) allowed for safe re-entry. This area is open to residents only, and people must show proof of address at the roadblock.

Visit www.nocoalert.org for a map of the updated evacuation areas and road closures. The decision to downgrade and lift evacuations is based on several factors, including fire conditions, utility restoration, and the safety of fire and utility crews working in the area.

The re-entry credentialing process began on August 5 for Storm Mountain and Cedar Park residents. Re-entry credentials grant access to residents impacted by the fire. Once fire and law enforcement officials deem the area safe, property owners will be able to present these credentials to gain access while maintaining security in the area. For more information on the credentialing process and locations to obtain credentials, visit https://www.larimer.gov/alexander-mountain-fire-evacuee-re-entry-credentialing

“Firefighters and our entire incident team made significant progress over the last several days, and I’m so thankful for the nonstop effort of everyone on this wildfire,” said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen. “We want to get people back to their homes as soon as possible, but not at the expense of safety.”

LCSO continues to operate the Joint Information Center (JIC), which can be reached at (970) 980-2500. People can also access a list of resources, maps, and other information on the Alexander Mountain Fire page at https://www.larimer.gov/alexander-mountain-fire.

The Community Foundation of Northern Colorado has established the Northern Colorado Disaster Recovery Fund to meet the immediate and long-term relief and recovery needs of the people and places affected in Northern Colorado. More information is available online at https://nocofoundation.org/noco-disaster-recovery-fund. Scams are common in the wake of disasters. Please note that there are no official donation portals via Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, Zelle, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or gift cards for this fire or recovery efforts.

The cause of the Alexander Mountain Fire is undetermined. Anyone with information about the cause and origin of the fire is asked to call the US Forest Service Law Enforcement Tip Line at (303) 275-5266. Photographs and videos can be submitted via https://fs.us.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/amountainfire.